What is EXCESSIVE?
Betty Murr
I would like to hear from Public Libraries about their policies on the
following:
1. Is there a limit on the number of materials that can be checked out
by one person on a library card?
2. Do you have a limit on the number of "reserve requests" that can be
placed by a card holder at one time?
and
3> Do you have a limit on the number of items you will ILL for a person
at one time?
We are faced with customers wanting to place "requests" for 30-40 items
at a time. These can be placed by the person through our OPACs. What we
have found is that many times at least half of the items are in at the
time the request is placed. That we will address separately. However, I
feel that 30-40 reserves at one time becomes excessive for our staff to
handle. What do you think? I would like to hear what other public
libraries do to curtail this. Thanks.
Kelly Tither
Our policy allows a total of 20 reserves per patron. We have no policy in
regards to number placed at one time.
Our policy allows 100 materials checked out on a library card - however,
there are limits on magazines (10 per visit), compact discs (10 per visit,
no more than 20 total), audio cassettes (10 per visit), video cassettes (5
adult, 2 children per visit, no more than 20 total). A patron is allowed
any combination of 100 items checked out on his/her card at any given time.
........................................................
Kelly Tither
Circulation Services Supervisor
West Allis Public Library
7421 W. National Avenue
West Allis, WI 53214
PHONE (414) 302-8535; FAX (414) 302-8545
........................................................
Brenda Cameron
On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, Betty Murr wrote:
> I would like to hear from Public Libraries about their policies on the
> following:
> 1. Is there a limit on the number of materials that can be checked out
> by one person on a library card?
***No.
> 2. Do you have a limit on the number of "reserve requests" that can be
> placed by a card holder at one time?
***No.
> and
> 3> Do you have a limit on the number of items you will ILL for a person
> at one time?
***We handle ILL requests on a case by case basis if the ILL supervisor
thinks a patron is requesting an unreasonable amount at one time, we
do a few at a time.
>
> We are faced with customers wanting to place "requests" for 30-40 items
> at a time. These can be placed by the person through our OPACs. What we
> have found is that many times at least half of the items are in at the
> time the request is placed. That we will address separately. However, I
> feel that 30-40 reserves at one time becomes excessive for our staff to
> handle. What do you think? I would like to hear what other public
> libraries do to curtail this. Thanks.
>
***We try to encourage people to use the library. We block patrons when
they have more than 5 overdues, more than 5 unresolved claims returned
items, more than 5 lost, one ILL lost or owe us more than $50 in charges.
We also don't charge fines. Since we automated in 1992, our return rate
has improved and we have been able to trap irresponsible people faster.
Fort Vancouver Regional Library is a 3 county system covering more than
4000 square miles. We have 11 branches and three bookmobiles. Our main
branch circulates over 1.2 million items per year. We filled about
120,000 holds last year.
Brenda Cameron
Circulation Manager
Fort Vancouver Regional Library
Vancouver, WA
(360) 699-8877
MBER...@aol.com
Hi Betty,
1. Our library limits the use of materials to 15 books (no more than 3 in a
certain subject) this tends to leave something on the shelf for the next
patron.
2. Regarding reserves-the patron has to make out a reserve card at the desk
and we do charge a .35 cent fee per item requested and we haven't experienced
any problem with this policy.
3. The ILL reserve card is the same as above and people have been know to
fill out as many as 8 cards but these books don't necessarily all come in at
once. The ILL librarian tells them that with this many requests depending on
where the material is coming from-they might not get it all at the same time.
30-40 reserves does seem excessive-do you have the everyman's catalog on your
OPAC's? Our staff attended a workshop on this new catalog about a month ago.
Good luck.
Mary Bernat/Staff Librarian
Palmer MA Public Library
MBER...@aol.com
Betty,
it is early morning- I didn't make it clear on the 1st question re: items
in addition to the 15 books, the other limits are patrons can check out 4
videos (no more than 4 per family), 5 CD's, 5 books on tape, 5 music
cassettes and 10 magazines at one time on their library card. Hope this
helps.
Mary Bernat/Palmer Public Library
Carole Rybarczyk
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At BPL we limit each cardholder to 30 items. There is no restriction as to the
amount of any certain type of item. We don't limit reserves of our materials
but
do limit ILL requests to four per month. We are considering letting patrons
place holds electronically since we have the capability so this topic is of
interest to me. We still have our "0lder" patrons who will not use OPACs and
I am not sure if this would tempt them over to the stations or not. Our problem
is space to store reserves and would letting patrons do electronic reserves
greatly increase our reserves? How do libraries contact these patrons? How
long do you hold reserves?
Carole Rybarczyk
Circulation Supervisor
Burlington Public Library
Burlington, WI
----------
From: Betty Murr[SMTP:bmu...@mail.win.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 1997 7:14 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list CIRCPLUS
Subject: What is EXCESSIVE?
I would like to hear from Public Libraries about their policies on the
following:
1. Is there a limit on the number of materials that can be checked out
by one person on a library card?
2. Do you have a limit on the number of "reserve requests" that can be
placed by a card holder at one time?
and
3> Do you have a limit on the number of items you will ILL for a person
at one time?
We are faced with customers wanting to place "requests" for 30-40 items
at a time. These can be placed by the person through our OPACs. What we
have found is that many times at least half of the items are in at the
time the request is placed. That we will address separately. However, I
feel that 30-40 reserves at one time becomes excessive for our staff to
handle. What do you think? I would like to hear what other public
libraries do to curtail this. Thanks.
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swhi...@imcpl.lib.in.us
At 05:14 PM 4/1/97 -0800, you wrote:
>following:
>1. Is there a limit on the number of materials that can be checked out
>by one person on a library card?
prints and 45 phonorecords
>2. Do you have a limit on the number of "reserve requests" that can be
may place three requests due to time constraints; some of our agencies have
forms for patrons to fill out for placing at later time and there is no
limit for this; we (Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library) have just
made patron self-placing of holds available on CLCAT - that limit is now 25,
soon to be upped.
>and
>3> Do you have a limit on the number of items you will ILL for a person
before further ILL's taken.
>
>We are faced with customers wanting to place "requests" for 30-40 items
>at a time. These can be placed by the person through our OPACs. What we
>have found is that many times at least half of the items are in at the
>time the request is placed. That we will address separately. However, I
>feel that 30-40 reserves at one time becomes excessive for our staff to
>handle. What do you think? I would like to hear what other public
>libraries do to curtail this. Thanks.
>
Stephanie Whitmore
Doug Stout
> I would like to hear from Public Libraries about their policies on the
> following:
> 1. Is there a limit on the number of materials that can be checked out
> by one person on a library card?
and cassetes and books except the 99 total
> 2. Do you have a limit on the number of "reserve requests" that can be
> placed by a card holder at one time? > and
10 items on reserve request per patron
>
3> Do you have a limit on
the number of items you will ILL for a pe
rson > at one time?
3 a week
Thanks
Doug Stout
Head of Adult Circulation
Newark Public Library
Newark, Ohio
Karin Hagan
On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, Betty Murr wrote:
> 1. Is there a limit on the number of materials that can be checked out
> by one person on a library card?
We have limits on certain classes of things only: 3 books on a topic per
family; 2 videos each from the Adult and Juv collections per family, 5
audiobooks per card; 4 CDs per card. There are temporary limits set for
certain school assignments, and summer reading, too. But, in general,
cards are to be used.
> 2. Do you have a limit on the number of "reserve requests" that can be
> placed by a card holder at one time?
Our (Dynix) system allows for 15 holds per card, if the patron is placing
his or her own holds at the PAC or from home. This can be overridden by
Circ staff at a staff terminal, although that is not made public. There
are only a few patrons who tend to max out, and we take care of them.
They are all responsible readers, either of fiction, or so eclectic in
their choices that there is no conflict with other limits.
> 3> Do you have a limit on the number of items you will ILL for a person
> at one time?
Many of our holds requests are ILLs as we are members of a 24- member
(and growing) consortium, so see above. For out-of-system ILLs, I don't
believe there is a limit in writing, but I know that a patron would be
encouraged to self-limit.
Karin H.
kha...@ocln.org
Chris Olson
On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, Betty Murr wrote:
> I would like to hear from Public Libraries about their policies on the
> following:
> 1. Is there a limit on the number of materials that can be checked out
> by one person on a library card?
---Yes 20 items total at on time including no more that 5
of each format of AV.
> 2. Do you have a limit on the number of "reserve requests" that can be
> placed by a card holder at one time?
---Yes, our number is limited to 5 per day.
> and
> 3> Do you have a limit on the number of items you will ILL for a person
> at one time?
---Yes, also limited to 5 per day. We found students were
just ordering every book that even remotely mentioned the
topic they were researching. They are much more selective
when we tell them there is a limit.
If they truly are serious about requesting more than the
limit, they can copy the titles down and call in 5 more
the following day.
Chris Olson
Head of Circulation and Computer Services
Three Rivers Public Library
Channahon,IL
Jo Hune
The public library in which I work has the following limits:
1. The materials out on a card at one time is 50 items.
2. Limits for reserve requests are four at the circulation desk and twenty
at the
OPACS. Note: Most of the patrons are shocked when twenty books show all
at
the same time discouraging future large requests.
3. The rules for ILL are four requests per patron and no more requests
until one or
books is returned. A total four of books or requests or a combination
of some
of each totaling four. I know this is redundant, I am just trying to
clarify.